Check List 5(3): 405–417, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Squamate Reptiles from Parque Nacional das Emas and surroundings, Cerrado of Central Brazil Paula Hanna Valdujo 1 Cristiano de Campos Nogueira 2 Leandro Baumgarten 3 Flavio Henrique Guimarães Rodrigues 4 Reuber Albuquerque Brandão 5 André Eterovic 1 Mário Barroso Ramos-Neto 2 Otavio A. V. Marques 6 1 Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Ecologia. Rua do Matão trav. 14. CEP 05508-900. São Paulo, SP, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Conservation International – Brazil. SAUS Quadra 3, Lote 2, Bloco C, Salas 715-722. CEP 70070-934. Brasília, DF, Brazil. 3 The Nature Conservancy – Brazil. SRTVS, Quadra 701, Conjunto D Bl. B Loja 246. CEP 70.340-907. Brasília, DF, Brazil. 4 Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Av. Antônio Carlos, 6.627 - Campus Pampulha. CEP 31270-901. Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. 5 Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal. Caixa Postal 04357. CEP 70919-970. Brasília, DF, Brazil. 6 Instituto Butantan, Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução. Av. Vital Brasil 1500. CEP 05503-900. São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Abstract We present a list of squamate reptiles from Parque Nacional da Emas (PNE), ten neighbor private properties and Parque Estadual Nascentes do Rio Taquari, states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, and Mato Grosso do Sul. The study area encompasses the headwaters of Araguaia and Taquari river basins and part of Paranaíba River Basin, resulting in significant habitat heterogeneity. Inside PNE, we recorded 74 squamate species: 47 snakes, 21 lizards and six amphisbaenians. If we consider also the neighboring areas, richness value raises to 87 species: 54 snakes, 27 lizards and six amphisbaenians. From these, 52 % of the lizards, 19 % of the snakes and 33 % of the amphisbaenians are Cerrado endemics. Forest-specialist species are more common outside than inside PNE. Additional species are expected to occur in the PNE region, in view of their known geographical ranges. Introduction herpetofauna is still considered poorly sampled The first comprehensive published research on because studies are mostly located in few Cerrado herpetofauna recorded 47 lizards, 107 restricted areas. snakes and 15 amphisbaenians for the biome (Colli et al. 2002). Recently, more detailed studies In a local scale, lizard assemblages are better based on systematized data revealed that at least characterized in literature than snakes or 237 Squamate species are found in the region, amphisbaenians, and richness varies greatly including at least 68 lizards, 145 snakes and 24 among areas, ranging from 15 species in Parque amphisbaenians (Costa et al. 2007). Nacional da Bodoquena region (20º32' S, 56º42' W), state of Mato Grosso do Sul (Uetanabaro et Nevertheless, despite the high potential local al. 2007), to 26 lizard species, in Jalapão region richness values (Costa et al. 2007), Cerrado (10º38' S, 46º48' W), state of Tocantins (Vitt et al. 405 Check List 5(3): 405–417, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES 2005) and Manso (15º17' S, 55º48' W) region, Here we provide a checklist of the snake, lizard state of Mato Grosso (Strussmann 2000). In other and amphisbaenian species found during a long well sampled localities, the number of registered term study on squamate reptiles in the PNE species was around 20, such as in Brasília region region, including Nascentes do Parque Estadual (15°46' S, 47°55' W) (17 species; Nogueira et al. do Rio Taquari and ten neighbor private 2005), municipality of São Domingos (13°23'S, properties. We also provide comparisons among 46°19'W), in the state of Goiás (20 species; sampling sites, comments on Cerrado endemic Werneck and Colli 2006), and Espora species, and conservation issues. hydroelectric power plant (18º40' S, 51º51' W) , in municipality of Aporé, state of Goiás (18 species; Material and Methods Vaz-Silva et al. 2007). Parque Nacional das Emas (18°20' S, 53°00' W, 760-880 m a.s.l.; Figures 1, 2 and 3) is a large (ca. Only few published studies characterize snake 130,000 ha) preserved area of Cerrado, localized communities in the Cerrado. Long-term studies on a plateau dominated by interfluvial grassy were carried out in Estação Ecológica de scrubland (campo sujo) and cerrado grassland Itirapina (22°15' S, 47°49' W), state of São Paulo (campo limpo), although arboreal savannas are (36 species; Sawaya et al. 2008), Jalapão region also present in smaller proportions (see detailed (46 species, Vitt et al. 2005), Brasília region descriptions of Cerrado physiognomies in Ribeiro (61 species; França et al. 2008), Espora and Walter 1998). This plateau, classified as hydroelectric power plant, in municipality of Savanna Parque (Figure 2 b) according to IBGE Aporé, state of Goiás (45 species; Vaz-Silva et al. (2003) vegetation physiognomies, degrades to 2007), Manso hydroelectric power plant, in lower areas (600-700 m; Figure 1b) on the eastern municipality of Chapada dos Guimarães (15°27' border as well as outside the park, to the north S, 55°44' S), state of Mato Grosso (44 species; (Araguaia River Basin), east (Jacuba-Correntes Strüssmann 2000), and Luis Eduardo Magalhães system, Paraná River Basin) and west (Taquari hydroelectric power plant (10º42' S, 48º25' W) , in River Basin, Pantanal complex; Figure 2 a), in Palmas, state of Tocantins (70 species; Pavan and areas dominated by typical cerrado (cerrado Dixo 2004). The last three mentioned studies sensu stricto), belonging to other five different resulted from faunal rescue operations during vegetation physiognomies of Savanna vegetation flooding of areas that are currently occupied by class (IBGE 2003; Figure 2 b). Riparian habitats, hydroelectric impoundments. such as wet grasslands (campo úmido) and gallery forests (mata de galeria) are present along water Apart from biogeographical importance and lack courses both inside and outside the park, as well of scientific knowledge, zoological studies on the as isolated patches of mesophytic forests. Cerrado are highly relevant, as this region has been recognized as the one of the 25 global The PNE encompasses areas belonging to the biodiversity hotspots, representing a priority target Paranaíba (Formoso, Jacuba and Correntes rivers) area for conservation actions (Myers et al. 2000). River Basin (Figure 2 b). We also sampled Over the past 35 years, more than half of the habitats not widespread inside PNE, such as Cerrado’s original area has been transformed for typical cerrado, cerradão (woodlands) and wider agriculture, while only 2.2 % of it is area are gallery forests, mostly located in Taquari and under strict legal protection (Klink and Machado, Araguaia River Basins, not farther than 50 km 2005). The surroundings of the Parque Nacional from PNE (Figure 2). Sites outside PNE located in das Emas (PNE) have suffered a severe loss of Araguaia River Basin are Assentamento Nascentes habitat due to the development of the agriculture do Araguaia, Babilônia Farm and Jaboticaba in the last decades, and this region has been Farm, in Mineiros, state of Goiás; Granada Farm, considered a priority area for conservation of in Alto Taquari, and Sapo River region, in Alto Cerrado biodiversity, based on species richness Araguaia, both in the state of Mato Grosso. Sites and the occurrence of endemic, rare, and located at Taquari River Basin are: Mutum Farm, threatened species (MMA 2007). Vista Bonita Farm and Planalto Farm in 406 Check List 5(3): 405–417, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Alcinópolis, state of Mato Grosso do Sul; 13 sites at Mutum, Planalto and 13 Pontos farms Pontos Farm and Garrote Farm in Alto Taquari, currently belong to Parque Estadual Nascentes do state of Mato Grosso, and Saramandaia Farm in Rio Taquari (PENRT) (Figure 1, geographic Alto Araguaia, state of Mato Grosso. Collecting coordinates in Appendix 2). Figure 1. Map showing location of Parque Nacional da Emas (PNE) and Parque Estadual Nascentes do Rio Taquari (PENRT) in Brazil. Cerrado domain is represented in light green. Figure 2. Location of Parque Nacional da Emas (ENP) and Parque Estadual Nascentes do Rio Taquari (NRTSP) (red lines) and sampling sites (black dots) according to A) hydrographic basin (light blue: Araguaia; dark blue: Paranaíba; pink: Taquari), and B) vegetation types (modified from IBGE 2003; light green: transition savanna - seasonal forest; dark green: woody savanna; yellow: farmlands; orange: grasslands; light brown: transition savanna - seasonal forest / farmlands; dark brown: forested savannas). Brazilian states are represented in black lines: MT - Mat Grosso; MS - Mato Grosso do Sul; GO - Goiás and rivers in blue lines. 407 Check List 5(3): 405–417, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Figure 3. Some of the sample sites at Parque Nacional da Emas (PNE) and Parque Estadual Nascentes do Rio Taquari (PENRT), and in other locations in Araguaia and Taquari river basins. A. Overview of different Cerrado formations at PNE; B. Grassland, PNE; C. Aerial view, PNE; D. Marsh and typical cerrado at Sapo river region; E. Garrote Farm, PENRT; F. Gallery forest at Garrote Farm, PENRT; G. Marsh and typical cerrado at Vista Bonita Farm, Taquari River Basin; H. Dense cerrado at Saramandaia Farm, Taquari River Basin. Photos A-C, E-H: P. H. Valdujo; D: Carlos E. R. Cândido. 408 Check List 5(3): 405–417, 2009. ISSN: 1809-127X LISTS OF SPECIES Studies at PNE were performed from May 1997 to based on SBH (2009), Zaher et al. (2009) and January 2001, in field trips lasting from five to 20 Curcio et al. (2009). days, and during a long term sampling extending from 2 September 2001 to 20 February 2002. Results and Discussion Taquari sites were sampled from 2 to 15 April We found 74 squamate reptile species inside PNE 2000, and 20 March to 5 May 2002. Araguaia (Table 1, Figure 4 and 5, Appendix 1): 47 snakes, sites were sampled from 2 to 15 April 2000, 9 to 21 lizards and six amphisbaenians.